18 I TRIED NOT TO BE“我不想做”-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《小公主A Little Princess》

1 "1 TRIEDNOTTOBE" IT was prett y, comfortable Mrs. Carmichael who explained everything. She was sent for at once, and came across the square to take Sara into her warm arms and make clear to her all that had happened. The excitement of the totally unexpected discovery had been temporarily① almost overpowering to Mr. Carrisford in his weak condition "Upon my word," he said faintly to Mr. Carmichael, when it was suggested that the little girl should go into another room, "I feel as if I do not want to lose sight of her." “1 will take care of her," Janet said, “and mamma will come in a few minutes."And it was Janet who led her away. "We're so glad you are found," she said. "You don't know how glad we are that you are found." Donald stood with his hands in his pockets, and gazed at Sara with reflecting and self-reproachful②eyes. "If I'd just asked what your name was when I gave you my sixpence,"he said, "you would have told me it was Sara Crewe, and then you would have been found in a minute." Then Mrs. Carmichael .416. 18。 “我不想做” 把一切事情解释清楚的是那位美丽而和葛可 亲的卡迈克尔夫人。立刻有人去请她来,她走过 广场,把萨拉楼进她温暖的怀里,并向她说明过 ① temporarily /'tempararili/ 去发生的全部情况。这一完全意外的发现所引起 a-时间,暂时 的兴奋,一时间几乎使身体、虚弱的卡里斯福特 先生承受不了。 “哎呀,”有人说这个小姑娘应该到另一间屋 子里去时,卡里斯福特先生向卡迈克尔先生有气 无力地说,“我觉得真想总看见她。” “我会照顾她的,”珍呢特说,“而目妈妈几 分钟后就会来的。”于是珍呢特把她领走了。 “找到了你使我们很高兴,”她说。“你不知 道,找到了你使我们多高兴啊。” ② self-reproach 唐纳德双手插在衣兜里站着,用一种沉思和 /selfri'proutf/a. 自我谴 自责的眼神凝视着萨拉 责,良心责备 “我给你那个6便士硬币的时候,要是我问一 下你的名字就好了,”他说,“你会告诉我叫萨 拉·克鲁,那时我们本可以立刻找到你。” ·417· A Cittfe Princess came in. She looked yery much moved, and suddenly took Sara in he arms and kissed her. “You look bewildered, poor child,"she said. “And it is not to be wondered at." Sara could only think of one thing "Was he," she said, with a glance toward the closed door of the library-"was he the wicked friend? Oh, do tell me?" Mrs. Carmichael was crying as she kissed her again. She felt as if she ought to be kissed very often because she had not been kissed for sc long. "He was not wicked, my dear," she answered. "He did not really lose your papa's money. He only thought he had lost it; and because he loved him so much his grief made him so ill that for a time he was not in his right mind. He almost died of brain-fever, and long before he began to recover your poor papa was dead." "And he did not know where to find me," murmured Sara. "And I was so near."Somehow, she could not forget that she had been so near "He believed you were in school in France,"Mrs. Carmichael explained. "And he was continually misled{①} by false clues. He has looked for you everywhere. When he saw you pass by, looking so sad and neglected②, he did not dream that you were his friend's poor child: but because you were a litle girl, too, he was sorry for you, and wanted to make you happier. And he told Ram Dass to climb into your attic window and try to make you comfortable." Sara gave a start of joy: her whole look changed "Did Ram Dass bring the things?" she cried out; "did he tell Ram Dass to do it? Did he make the dream that came true!" "Yes, my dear-yes! He is kind and good, and he was sorry for .418. 小公主 这时卡迈克尔夫人进来了。她显得很激动 一下子抱住萨拉,吻她。 “你觉得莫名其妙吧,可怜的孩子,”她说。 “这并不奇怪。” 萨拉不禁想起一桩事来。 “他是,”她向那关着门的图书室扫了一 眼--“他就是那个坏朋友吗?哦,快告诉我 呀!” 卡迈克尔夫人再次吻她时哭了。她觉得自已好 像应该常常吻她,因为过去很长时间没有人吻她 了。 “他不是坏人,亲爱的,”她答道。“他其实 并没有损失你爸爸的钱。只是他以为损失了。由 于他那么喜爱你爸爸,他的悲痛使他病得在一段 时间里神志不清。他差点死于脑膜炎。你可怜的 爸爸死后很久,他才痊愈。” “他也不知道到哪里去找我,”萨拉嘀嘀地 说。 “可我离他这么近。”不知怎的,她忘不了 自己一直就在附近。 “他认为你在法国上学,”卡迈克尔夫人解释 ①misled /mislled y 带错 说。 “他不断被假线索引入歧途。他一直在到处 找你。他看到你路过的时候,看上去是那么悲伤 ② neglected /ni'qlektid/ a. 被 和无人照管,他做梦也没有想到你就是他朋友的 忽视的,无人关心的 可怜的孩子;不过因为你是个小姑娘,他为你难 过,想让你愉快一些。因此他吟咐拉姆·达斯爬 进你的阁楼的天窗,想使你舒适一些。” 萨拉高兴得吃了一惊;她的整个脸色都变了。 “是拉姆·达斯送来那些东西的吗?”她大嚷 道。 “是他吟咐拉姆·达斯这样做吗?是他使梦 想成为现实的吗?” “是的,亲爱的一一是的!他是善良好心的 .419· A Cittfe Princess you, for little lost Sara Crewe's sake." The library door opened and Mr. Carmichael appeared, calling Sara to him with a gesture. "Mr. Carrisford is better already," he said. "He wants you to come to him." Sara did not wait. When the Indian gentleman looked at her as she entered, he saw that her face was all alight. She went and stood before his chair, with her hands clasped together against her breast "You sent the things to me,"she said, in a joyful emotional{} little voice-"the beautiful, beautiful things?" You sent them!'"Yes, poor, dear child, I did,"he answered her. He was weak and broken with long illness and trouble, but he looked at her with the look she remembered in her father's eyes-that look of loving her and wanting to take her in his arms. It made her kneel down by him, just as she used to kneel by her father when they were the dearest friends and lovers in the world "Then it is you who are my friend," she said, "it is you who are my friend!" And she dropped her face on his thin hand and kissed it again and again. "The man will be himself again in three weeks,"Mr. Carmichael said aside to his wife."Look at his face already." In fact, he did look changed. Here was the "little missus," and he had new things to think of and plan for already. In the first place②, there was Miss Minchin. She must be interviewed③ and told of the change which had taken place^{④} in the fortunes of her pupil Sara was not to return to the Seminary at all. The Indian gentleman was very determined upon that point. She must remain where she was, and Mr. Carmichael should go and see Miss Minchin himself. .420. 小公主 人, 他为你难过,是因为丢失的小萨拉·克鲁的 缘故。” 图书室的门开了,卡迈克尔先生出现了,用 手势叫萨拉到他那儿去。 “卡里斯福特先生已经好一些了,”他说。 “他希望你到他那儿去。” 萨拉没有等待。她走了进去,印度绅士看着 她,发现她满脸喜气洋洋。 她走过去站在他的椅子前面,两手紧握着贴 ① emotional /i'maufanl/ a 动情的 在胸前。 “是你送我许多东西,”她以愉快、激动而细 小的嗓音说一一“那些美丽的、美丽的东西是吗? 是你把它们送来的!” “是的,可怜的,亲爱的孩子,是我送的,” 他回答她道。他因长期患病和苦恼,已经衰弱不 堪,但他看着她的那种目光,她记得在她的爸爸 眼神中见到过-爱她,要把她抱在怀里的那科 目光。这使她在他身旁跪下,就像她过去常跪在 父亲身旁那样,那时他们是世界上最好的朋友和 最亲爱的人。 “那么你就是我的朋友,”她说,“你就是我 的朋友!”她俯下脸贴在他那消瘦的手上,一次 又一次地吻它。 ② in the frist way 首先 “这个人3个星期之后就会恢复正常,”卡迈 ③ interview /intavju:/ v. 面 克尔先生低声对一旁的妻子说。“你瞧他的脸, ④ take place 发生 脸色已经不同了。” 事实上,他的脸色确实有了变化。“小女主 人”到了这里,他已有许多新的事情要考虑和安 排。首先是明钦小姐。必须找她面谈,把她的学 .421· A Cittfe Princess "I am glad I need not go back," said Sara. "She will be very angry. She does not like me; though perhaps it is my fault, because I do not like her." But, oddly enough, Miss Minchin made it unnecessary for Mr. Carmichael to go to her, by actually coming in search of her pupil herself, She had wanted Sara for something, and on inauiry had heard ar astonishing thing. One of the housemaids had seen her steal out of the area with something hidden under her cloak, and had also seen her go up the steps next door and enter the house. "What does she mean!" cried Miss Minchin to Miss Amelia "I don't know, I'm sure, sister," answered Miss Amelia. "Unless she has made friends with him because he has lived in India." "It would be just like her to thrust herself upon him and try to gain his sympathies in some such impertinent{} fashion," said Miss Minchin. "She must have been in thehouse two hours. I will not allow such presumption②. I shall go and inquire into the matter, and apologize for her intrusion③." Sara was sitting on a footstool close to Mr. Carrisford's knee, and listening to some of the many things he felt it necessary to try to explair to her, when Ram Dass announced{④ the visitor's arrival. Sara rose involuntarily, and became rather pale; but Mr. Carisford saw that she stood quietly, and showed none of the ordinary signs of child terror. Miss Minchin entered the room with a sternly dignified manner. She was correctly and well dressed, and rigidly{} polite. "I am sorry to disturb Mr. Carrisford," she said, "but I have explanations to make. I am Miss Minchin, the proprietress of the Young Ladies' Seminary next door." .422· 小公主 生的命运已发生变化的事告诉她 萨拉根本不用回学校。关于这一点,印度绅 士是非常坚决的。她得留在她现在的地方,卡迈 克尔先生要亲自去见明钦小姐。 “我很高兴不必回去了,”萨拉说。“她会很 生气的。她不喜欢我;虽然这也许是我的过错, 因为我不喜欢她。” 然而说来也够奇怪的,明钦小姐竟然使卡迈 克尔先生不必要去找她了,因为她其实已亲自来 找她的学生。她有事要找萨拉,查问之下,听到 一件令人惊讶的事。有个女仆曾经看见萨拉把什 么东西藏在斗篷下面,偷偷溜出地下室前空地. 又见她登上隔壁的台阶,进了屋子 ① impertinent /im'pa:tinant “她这是什么意思!”明钦小姐向阿米莉亚小 a.鲁葬的,无礼的,粗鲁的 姐嚷道。 “我不知道,真的不知道,姐姐,”阿米莉亚 ② presumption /pri'zAmpfan/ 小姐答道。“除非她已和他交上了朋友,因为她 n.假设,可能,可能发生的 事 以前一直住在印度。” ③ intrusion /in'tru:3on/ n. 侵 A “她想用某种不恰当的方式,强行和他结交 争取他的同情,她正是这种人,”明钦小姐说。 “她在那个屋子里一定有两个小时了。我不能充 ④ announce /a'nauns/ v. 通 许她如此放肆。我要去查问这件事,为她闯入表 知 involuntarily 示歉意。” in'volantorili/ ad. 不知不 觉地 拉姆·达斯报告有客人到来时,萨拉正坐在 卡里斯福特先生膝旁的脚凳上,听他解释他认为 有必要解释的许多事情中的某些事情 rigidly /rid3idli/ad. 刻板 地 萨拉不由自主地站了起来,脸色有点儿发 白;然而卡里斯福特先生注意到,她平静地站 着,没有显示出通常小孩感到恐惧的迹象。 .423· A Cittfe Princess The Indian gentleman looked at her for a moment in silent scrutiny^{①} He was a man who had naturally a rather hot temper, and he did not wish it to get too much the better of him. “So you are Miss Minchin?" he said. "I am,sir." "In that case,"the Indian gentleman replied, "you have arrived at the right time. My solicitor, Mr. Carmichael, was just on the point of^{② going to see you." Mr. Carmichael bowed slightly, and Miss Minchin looked from him to Mr. Carrisford in amazement. "Your solicitor!" she said. "I do not understand. I have come here as a matter of duty. I have just discovered that you have been intruded upon through the forwardness③} of one of my pupils-a charity④ pupil. I came to explain that she intruded without my knowledge." She turned upon Sara."Go home at once," she commanded indignantly."You shall be severely punished. Go home at once." The Indian gentleman drew Sara to his side and patted her hand "She is not going." Miss Minchin felt rather as if she must be losing her senses "Not going!" she repeated. "No," said Mr. Carrisford. "She is not going home-if you give your house that name. Her home for the future will be with me." Miss Minchin fell back in amazed indignation "With you! With you, sir! What does this mean?" “Kindly explain the mattr, Carmichael," said the Indian gentleman, "and get it over as quickly as possible."And he made Sara sit down again, and held her hands in his-which was another trick^{} of her papa's. Then Mr. Carmichael explained-in the quiet, level-toned^{}, steady .424· 小公主 ①scrutiny /skru:tini/ n. 研究 明钦小姐严肃庄重地走进房间。她衣冠楚 楚,举止刻板有礼。 “我很抱鞭来打扰卡里斯福特先生,”她说 “不过我要作些说明,我是隔壁女子学校的所有 人明钦小姐。” 印度绅士默默地细看了她一会儿。他天生是 ②on the point to... 正要做... 个脾气相当急躁的人,他并不希望自已过分顺从 这种脾气。 “那么你就是明钦小姐吗?”他说 “是的,先生。” “既然如此,”印度绅士答道,“你来得正是 时候。我的律师卡迈克尔先生正要去见你。” ③ forwardness /fo:wadnis n 大胆,鲁莽 卡迈克尔先生微微鞠躬,明钦小姐惊异地看 ④ charity /tfaeriti/ n. 慈善的 看他,再看看卡里斯福特先生。 “你的律师!”她说。“我不明白,我来这里 是出于一种责任。我刚发现我的一个学生- 个靠施舍的学生-一冒失地闯进来打扰了你。我 是来说明,她是背着我闯进来的。”她转身向萨 lose one's sense 失去理智 拉。“快回家去,”她愤怒地哈咐说。“你将受 到严厉惩罚。快回家去。” 印度绅士把萨拉拉到身边,拍拍她的手 “她不去。” 明钦小姐觉得自已准是神志不清了。 “不去!”她重复说。 “是的,”卡里斯福特先生说。 “她不回 家--如果你把你的住宅叫作这个名称的话。她 trick /trik/n. 把戏,瓣好 未来的家是和我在一起。” 明钦小姐惊怒交集地后退一步。 level-oned语气平静的 “跟你在一起!跟你,先生!这是什么意思?” ·425·